But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about a simple "eye for an eye" punishment; it's deeply concerned with justice being administered by the community's authorities, not through personal revenge. The phrase "life for life" is a directive for the magistrates to ensure a penalty fitting the crime, preventing chaos and private retribution.
But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This section of Exodus deals with accidental harm. Following a scenario where men fighting unintentionally injure a pregnant woman, causing a miscarriage, the law dictates a penalty if there is further harm. If death results, the penalty is "life for life," meaning the offender is liable to forfeit their own life, administered by the magistrate, not through personal vengeance.
What does it truly mean to pay 'life for life'? This wasn't just about vengeance, but about the immense value God placed on human life.
In this ancient legal code, 'life for life' is the ultimate consequence for taking a life. It establishes a profound principle: every human life has an equivalent value. This isn't about a tit-for-tat system for private revenge. Instead, it was a directive for the civil magistrate to ensure justice was served proportionally.
This principle also served as a powerful deterrent. The severity of the penalty underscored the sanctity of life in God's eyes. Even when accidental, the taking of a life carried the gravest of consequences, demanding a serious response from the community and its leaders.
Was this a command for every injury to be met with an exact, identical punishment? The text and its context suggest a deeper application.
While the phrase 'life for life' sounds like a direct, literal exchange, the surrounding verses and later interpretations reveal it was more complex. These laws often served as a framework for determining compensation and justice, not necessarily direct, physical retaliation by individuals.
The legal discussions around this passage show that the intention was for a magistrate to assess the situation and determine a just penalty. This could involve financial compensation or other forms of recompense, especially in cases where the harm was not intentional. The goal was equitable justice, not escalating cycles of violence.
Furthermore, the principle was meant to guide judges in assessing penalties, preventing overly lenient or excessively harsh judgments. It ensured that the seriousness of the offense was met with a corresponding consequence, administered by the proper authorities.
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Understand the original words
nephesh tachat nephesh · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A fundamental legal principle known as lex talionis (the law of retaliation). It mandates that the penalty must exactly match the nature and severity of the crime, ensuring proportionality in justice.
This passage mirrors the principle of 'life for life' by stating 'If anyone injures their neighbor, whatever injury they inflict, it must be done to them in return,' establishing a consistent theme of proportionate justice in the Law.
Deuteronomy 19:21This verse directly applies the 'life for life' principle to false witnesses, stating 'Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,' underscoring the severity of bearing false witness against a neighbor.
Matthew 5:38Jesus directly quotes and reinterprets the 'eye for eye' principle here, challenging the common understanding and guiding his followers toward a higher, more merciful standard than mere retaliation.
Numbers 35:31This passage further clarifies the application of 'life for life,' stating that no payment or ransom should be accepted for a murderer, emphasizing that the penalty for willful killing must be death.
gillExodus 21:23: "And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,"
And if any mischief follow,.... According as that is, so shall it be done to the smiter: if death follows: then thou shalt give life for life; if death to the woman, so Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it; to which agrees the Targum of Jonathan,"but if there is death in her, then ye shall judge or condemn the life of the murderer for the life of the woman;''about which, Jarchi says, there is a difference among their d…
cambridgeExodus 21:23: "And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,"
23–25 . The Lex Talionis . But if any mischief happen , then compensation is to be made on the principle of the lex talionis . Vv. 23–25 are, however, worded quite generally, and mention many injuries not at all likely to happen to the woman in the special case contemplated in v. 22, or even to the combatants themselves (injuries to whom Di. thinks might be included in the ‘mischief’ meant): hence, probably, either…
This verse isn't just about a simple "eye for an eye" punishment; it's deeply concerned with justice being administered by the community's authorities, not through personal revenge. The phrase "life for life" is a directive for the magistrates to ensure a penalty fitting the crime, preventing chaos and private retribution.
This section of Exodus deals with accidental harm. Following a scenario where men fighting unintentionally injure a pregnant woman, causing a miscarriage, the law dictates a penalty if there is further harm. If death results, the penalty is "life for life," meaning the offender is liable to forfeit their own life, administered by the magistrate, not through personal vengeance.
This section of Exodus deals with accidental harm. Following a scenario where men fighting unintentionally injure a pregnant woman, causing a miscarriage, the law dictates a penalty if there is further harm. If death results, the penalty is "life for life," meaning the offender is liable to forfeit their own life, administered by the magistrate, not through personal vengeance.
"But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life," — This verse isn't just about a simple "eye for an eye" punishment; it's deeply concerned with justice being administered by the community's authorities, not through personal revenge. The phrase "life…
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Last reviewed October 2026